The 2011 Oceania Zonal was held in Rotorua during the last week of January. The field of 56 in the Open and 11 in the women's event included players from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Top seed in the Open was Australia's number one, GM Zong-Yuan Zhao. He was in great form and dominated the field to finish on an outstanding score of 8½/9. His only draw came in the penultimate round to ensure clear first place. Second place and an automatic IM title went to Australian junior Andrew Brown on 7 points, completing a Summer of excellent results in Australia. Third was shared by FM Max Illingworth and Moulthun Ly, again both juniors from Australia, on 6½.
The women's event was converted into a round-robin to avert the potential for an unfair draw. It quickly turned into a three-horse race between three Australians: Top seed IM Irina Berezina-Feldman, WFM Emma Guo and WIM Biljan Dekic. Berezina held a half-point lead over the other two until the last round, when she was held to a draw by New Zealander Judy Gao, allowing Emma Guo to catch her, but not Dekic, who was held by another local – WFM Viv Smith. Thus Berezina and Guo shared first place on 8½/10 and will play off for the right to progress to the women's world championship.
Today's game was perhaps GM Zhao's sternest test on the way to overall victory. From the second round he is Black, facing FM Stephen Lukey, who finished as the highest placed New Zealander, in a share for fifth on 6 points.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ The Bogo-Indian Defence. Black has the modest strategy of placing his centre pawns on dark squares, having first ensured his bishop will not be hemmed in. 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 d6 8.O-O a5 9.e4 e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Ne1 h5 White's worst piece is his bishop, and this advance encourages it to stay trapped behind its own pawns for some time. 12.h3 h4 13.g4 Nbd7 14.Nd3 b6 15.Qc2 Nc5 16.b3 O-O 17.Nb2! --- White will gradually advance his queenside pawns, and avoids the exchange of knights to keep Black cramped. 17.--- Nh7 18.a3 g6 19.b4 Nd7 20.Nd3 Ng5 21.c5?! --- A little premature. 21 Rfe1 would have avoided the subsequent pin on the a6-f1 diagonal and kept control of c5. 21.--- bxc5 22.bxc5 Ba6! 23.c6 Bxd3? Zhao was concerned about the exchange sacrifice after 23...Nc5! 24 Nxc5!? (or if 24 Nc4 Ncxe4), but Black has the better prospects e.g. 24... Bxf1 25 Rxf1 dxc5 26 Rc1 Rab8! 27 Qxc5 Qxc5 28 Rxc5 Rb2! 29 Nf1 (29 Nc4? Rc2!) Ra8 30 Ne3 Rb3! with advantage. Now White gains control of the b-file and gets to make the same sacrifice under much more favourable circumstances. 24.Qxd3 Nc5 25.Qe3 a4 26.Rab1 f6 If 26...Rfb8 challenging on the b-file, then 27 Rb4 f6 28 Rfb1 Rxb4 29 axb4! and the eviction of the knight is much worse. e.g. 29... Na6 30 Qa3 Nb8 31 b5 with Rb4xa4 to follow. 27.Rb4 Rae8 28.Rfb1 Kg7 29.Kh1 Rf7 30.Rb7! Qd8 Not 30...Nxb7? 31 cxb7 Rff8 32 Qa7 Rb8 33 Nc4 and Nc4-a5-c6 is crushing. 31.R1b5 Ref8 32.Nc4 Re7 33.Rxc5! dxc5 34.Qxc5 Nf7! Black finds the only defensive resource and now White misses the more incisive 35 Qa7! Nd6 36 Nxd6 Qxd6 (since the c-pawn is pinned) 37 Qxa4 with a big advantage. 35.Qb4?! Nd6 36.Nxd6 cxd6 37.Rxe7+?! --- The pawn is stronger on the 7th rank. 37 Bf1 Rxb7 38 cxb7 and now not 38 ... Qc7? 39 Ba6 Rb8 40 Qxa4 followed by 41 Qc6, but 38...Qb8! 39 Ba6 Rf7 40 Qxa4 Rc7 41 Kg2 Kf8 42 Qb4 Kg7 and White cannot move his bishop or take on d6 without losing his b-pawn to ...Rxb7 making further progress difficult. 37.--- Qxe7 38.Qb6 Rf7 39.Bf1?! --- Missing a forced exchange of queens. 39 Kg1 defends f2 after which 39...Qa7 40 Qb4 Qc7 41 Qxa4 White is still in the game. Once queens are off Black carries out a sure-footed encircling maneouvre. 39.--- Qa7! 40.Qxa7 Rxa7 41.Kg2 Ra5 42.Kf3 Rc5 43.Ke3 Kf7 44.Kd2 Ke7 45.Bd3 Kd8 46.Bc2 Kc7 47.Bd3 Kb6 48.Be2 f5 49.f3 fxe4 50.fxe4 g5 51.Bd3 Ra5 52.Ke3 Ra8 53.Be2 Kc5 54.Bd1 Kc4 55.Kd2 Kd4 White resigns as after 56 Bc2 Ra7! he is in zugzwang: e.g. 57 Bd3 Rf7 58 Bc2 Rf2+ 59 Kd1 Kc5! 60 Bxa4 Kb6 and Rf3xh3 winning the first of several pawns cannot be prevented.
Zhao convincing in Zonal
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
The 2011 Oceania Zonal was held in Rotorua during the last week of January. The field of 56 in the Open and 11 in the women's event included players from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Top seed in the Open was Australia's number one, GM Zong-Yuan Zhao. He was in great form and dominated the field to finish on an outstanding score of 8½/9. His only draw came in the penultimate round to ensure clear first place. Second place and an automatic IM title went to Australian junior Andrew Brown on 7 points, completing a Summer of excellent results in Australia. Third was shared by FM Max Illingworth and Moulthun Ly, again both juniors from Australia, on 6½.
The women's event was converted into a round-robin to avert the potential for an unfair draw. It quickly turned into a three-horse race between three Australians: Top seed IM Irina Berezina-Feldman, WFM Emma Guo and WIM Biljan Dekic. Berezina held a half-point lead over the other two until the last round, when she was held to a draw by New Zealander Judy Gao, allowing Emma Guo to catch her, but not Dekic, who was held by another local – WFM Viv Smith. Thus Berezina and Guo shared first place on 8½/10 and will play off for the right to progress to the women's world championship.
Today's game was perhaps GM Zhao's sternest test on the way to overall victory. From the second round he is Black, facing FM Stephen Lukey, who finished as the highest placed New Zealander, in a share for fifth on 6 points.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nf3 Bb4+
The Bogo-Indian Defence. Black has the modest strategy of placing his centre pawns on dark squares, having first ensured his bishop will not be hemmed in.
4.Bd2 Qe7
5.g3 Nc6
6.Bg2 Bxd2+
7.Nbxd2 d6
8.O-O a5
9.e4 e5
10.d5 Nb8
11.Ne1 h5
White's worst piece is his bishop, and this advance encourages it to stay trapped behind its own pawns for some time.
12.h3 h4
13.g4 Nbd7
14.Nd3 b6
15.Qc2 Nc5
16.b3 O-O
17.Nb2! ---
White will gradually advance his queenside pawns, and avoids the exchange of knights to keep Black cramped.
17.--- Nh7
18.a3 g6
19.b4 Nd7
20.Nd3 Ng5
21.c5?! ---
A little premature. 21 Rfe1 would have avoided the subsequent pin on the a6-f1 diagonal and kept control of c5.
21.--- bxc5
22.bxc5 Ba6!
23.c6 Bxd3?
Zhao was concerned about the exchange sacrifice after 23...Nc5! 24 Nxc5!? (or if 24 Nc4 Ncxe4), but Black has the better prospects e.g. 24... Bxf1 25 Rxf1 dxc5 26 Rc1 Rab8! 27 Qxc5 Qxc5 28 Rxc5 Rb2! 29 Nf1 (29 Nc4? Rc2!) Ra8 30 Ne3 Rb3! with advantage. Now White gains control of the b-file and gets to make the same sacrifice under much more favourable circumstances.
24.Qxd3 Nc5
25.Qe3 a4
26.Rab1 f6
If 26...Rfb8 challenging on the b-file, then 27 Rb4 f6 28 Rfb1 Rxb4 29 axb4! and the eviction of the knight is much worse. e.g. 29... Na6 30 Qa3 Nb8 31 b5 with Rb4xa4 to follow.
27.Rb4 Rae8
28.Rfb1 Kg7
29.Kh1 Rf7
30.Rb7! Qd8
Not 30...Nxb7? 31 cxb7 Rff8 32 Qa7 Rb8 33 Nc4 and Nc4-a5-c6 is crushing.
31.R1b5 Ref8
32.Nc4 Re7
33.Rxc5! dxc5
34.Qxc5 Nf7!
Black finds the only defensive resource and now White misses the more incisive 35 Qa7! Nd6 36 Nxd6 Qxd6 (since the c-pawn is pinned) 37 Qxa4 with a big advantage.
35.Qb4?! Nd6
36.Nxd6 cxd6
37.Rxe7+?! ---
The pawn is stronger on the 7th rank. 37 Bf1 Rxb7 38 cxb7 and now not 38 ... Qc7? 39 Ba6 Rb8 40 Qxa4 followed by 41 Qc6, but 38...Qb8! 39 Ba6 Rf7 40 Qxa4 Rc7 41 Kg2 Kf8 42 Qb4 Kg7 and White cannot move his bishop or take on d6 without losing his b-pawn to ...Rxb7 making further progress difficult.
37.--- Qxe7
38.Qb6 Rf7
39.Bf1?! ---
Missing a forced exchange of queens. 39 Kg1 defends f2 after which 39...Qa7 40 Qb4 Qc7 41 Qxa4 White is still in the game. Once queens are off Black carries out a sure-footed encircling maneouvre.
39.--- Qa7!
40.Qxa7 Rxa7
41.Kg2 Ra5
42.Kf3 Rc5
43.Ke3 Kf7
44.Kd2 Ke7
45.Bd3 Kd8
46.Bc2 Kc7
47.Bd3 Kb6
48.Be2 f5
49.f3 fxe4
50.fxe4 g5
51.Bd3 Ra5
52.Ke3 Ra8
53.Be2 Kc5
54.Bd1 Kc4
55.Kd2 Kd4
White resigns as after 56 Bc2 Ra7! he is in zugzwang: e.g. 57 Bd3 Rf7 58 Bc2 Rf2+ 59 Kd1 Kc5! 60 Bxa4 Kb6 and Rf3xh3 winning the first of several pawns cannot be prevented.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rf2+! 2 Qxf2 (2 Kg1 Qxg3#) Qxh5+ 3 Kg1 Qh1#.